It would be wrong for diesel use to fall due to Volkswagen scandal: Akio Toyoda

TOKYO: Toyota Motor Corp's president said that it would be wrong for diesel use to fall as a result of the Volkswagen emissions scandal and that Toyota would continue to use diesel engines in vehicles where appropriate, such as in trucks.

"Diesel has its merits, and it would be wrong if the ongoing scandal led to the end of diesel use," Toyota President Akio Toyoda told reporters at the Tokyo Motor Show on Wednesday.

Toyoda added that he was confident Toyota could be a leader in developing advanced automated driving technology.

Earlier this month, the Japanese automaker said it would aim to bring to market cars that can autonomously change lanes, merge with traffic, and overtake other vehicles on highways by around 2020.

Prices of most SUVs were cut between Rs 1.1 lakh and Rs 3 lakh following the implementation of GST, which subsumed over a dozen central and state levies like excise duty, service tax, and VAT from July 1.